1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to refrigerators for use in a galley of a vehicle (e.g., an aircraft) for refrigerating food and beverage products. More specifically, the present invention relates refrigeration systems and methods for connection with a vehicle's liquid cooling system.
2. Related Art
As known in the art, conventional vehicle refrigerators and beverage chillers, such as those used in an aircraft galley, include a mechanical refrigeration apparatus that employs a vapor-compression refrigeration process (i.e., a vapor cycle system) to transfer heat from contents of the refrigerator to an environment external to the refrigerator. Although conventional vapor cycle aircraft galley refrigerators are suitable for their intended purpose, they have several drawbacks. One drawback is that the vapor cycle system of conventional refrigerators consume a significant amount of electrical energy. In addition, the vapor cycle system adds numerous mechanical and electrical parts to a conventional refrigerator, thereby making the refrigerator prone to malfunction. Furthermore, vapor cycle systems add significant weight and cause conventional refrigerators to occupy considerable space.